Phillips acknowledged this week that he has been approached by supporters who asked him to run for the office, which will be on the November 2014 ballot, and that he was seriously considering such a move. The longtime local jurist and community leader said he wouldn't make a formal announcement about his intentions until the end of the year, in deference to Calcagno and to his current service on the state's assigned judge program.

"It's a little sensitive because Louie hasn't (officially) said he won't run and I don't want to be disrespectful," Phillips said. And, he said, when he officially declares his candidacy, he can no longer serve as a judge. Phillips, who retired in 2004 after 20 years on the bench, has been serving as an assigned judge in Monterey County Superior Court this summer and indicated he plans to continue that service into the fall.

While Calcagno, serving his fourth term on the Board of Supervisors, has not formally announced whether he intends to run again, has privately indicated he will not do so if an acceptable candidate emerges. Insiders believe the only way Calcagno would decide to run is if no viable candidate steps up that he believes can beat political rival Ed Mitchell, who challenged Calcagno in 2010 and is widely expected to run again.

Mitchell did not return a phone call from The Herald on Thursday.

Calcagno said this week he would not yet endorse any candidate, but the political veteran is clearly enthused by the possibility that Phillips would run, calling him a "tremendous candidate" who could "provide outstanding leadership for the county of Monterey."

Phillips, a 42-year Prunedale resident and Republican — like Calcagno — has spent his retirement focused on the much-praised Rancho Cielo Youth Campus program and other community causes, and only emerged as a potential candidate recently, after a series of Calcagno-backed prospects chose not to run.

North County Fire Chief Chris Orman, Granite Rock CFO Steve Snodgrass, county Planning Commissioner Cosme Padilla, and North County community leader Ron Stefani all decided against running, sources said.

Others who have been mentioned as potential candidates include County Office of Education trustee and community activist David Serena, Salinas City Councilwoman Kimbley Craig, North County activist Diana Jimenez, Salinas Union High School District board member Kathryn Ramirez, and even former State Assemblywoman and Salinas mayor Anna Caballero, now secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency for the Brown administration.

But observers believe most, if not all, potential candidates would likely be reluctant to take on Phillips, who would likely garner support from major donors such as North County developer Don Chapin and the agricultural industry. Phillips would have a presumed advantage over any Salinas-area candidate with North County voters, who represent about two-thirds of the District 2 population.

Phillips said his family told him he was "crazy" to run for supervisor, and that he was only being asked because other preferred candidates had bowed out.

The notoriously plain-spoken Phillips said he believes there needed to be more representatives from the local business sector in elected office, rather than the public sector, which he acknowledged included himself.